Scrawny
by Queen of Nargles
Summary: When James asks Lily an odd question, she only subjects to answer. James/Lily. One-shot.


~Scrawny~

By

Queen of Nargles

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: where wizards learn about magic and potions and make friends and have the best time of their life. In other words: where drama takes place. That was Lily Evans's definition for it. Piles and piles of homework make it impossible to enjoy weekends. Getting detention for something you didn't do. Doing rounds on the middle of the night with a big headed prat. In every corner you find a couple snogging or a couple bickering. Bullies and prats hang defenseless classmates upside down just for the fun of it. Blokes find any chance to ask you out. Friends come crying about how their boyfriend dumped them. Best time a witch's or wizard's life? Not bloody likely.

Rounds and meetings with her fellow Head Boy were in fact one of Hogwarts's many punishments. Lily could always feel the awkwardness between James Potter and herself. His hand was always running through his hair while he tried to make small talk and sometimes he would give her small glances when he thought she wasn't looking. It was moments like these that made Lily wish she never was a witch.

This particular night consisted of their same routine. Lily awkwardly walking next to James with her hands dug deep in the pockets of her robes. She wasn't directly looking at him but she somehow knew his hand was in his hair trying to fight the nerves a way. Lily smiled. She had to admit sometimes he was amusing and funny when he wanted to be and he wasn't a big headed prat anymore. Other times she wanted to smack the back of his head.

"We won the Quidditch match yesterday."

Lily turned to look at him. He was starting small talk.

"That's nice. Marlene told me."

"Oh. Well we're one step closer to winning the House Cup."

Lily nodded her head. "That's nice, James."

They kept walking in silence for some long minutes before either of them dared to break the silence.

"Lily?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think I'm scrawny?"

Lily's head snapped up to this. She gave him a head to toe glance. She had to admit. For being the all-star Quidditch player, he was rather scrawny. He didn't have bad looks but he wasn't a Witch Weekly model either. He was skinny, incredibly skinny. His hair and glasses didn't make look any better. He had to run a comb through that mop. Beneath his chapped lips were uneven, crooked teeth. His nose was also rather long.

James Potter had flaws. It was a fact. Everybody did. Underneath all those flaws and those thick rimmed glasses, he had the nicest eyes Lily had ever seen. They were a warm and a deep caramel color with a few gold flecks. She could always feel his gold orbs watching her every move.

"Am I?" he asked.

"Well," she hesitated. Lily opened closed her mouth.

"Be honest with me, Evans."

Lily sighed. "Yes, James. You are scrawny."

"Really? Are you sure you don't see any muscles?" James brought his sleeves down to show her his arms. He was obviously making an effort.

Lily squinted her eyes and studied James's arm closely. Lily sighed again. "Nope. Sorry. It's also scrawny. I thought you were a Quidditch player, Potter. Aren't you supposed to have like mega muscles and biceps?"

"But I do!"

"You keep telling yourself that, mate."

"You sound like Sirius. He likes to mock me," he muttered.

"Hate to break it you, but sadly it's true. You are scrawny." Lily noticed the disappointment in his eyes. "You asked me, just so you know."

James nodded. He ran another hand through his dark hair. "Is that why you won't go out with me?"

Lily stopped her tracks. He hadn't asked such thing in such a long time. They both tried to ignore any dating references, especially about his crush on her. "Girls don't just look at the body, James. Well, I don't," she said.

"Well what do you like?" he asked pleadingly.

Lily looked at him hesitantly. She wasn't sure she was comfortable telling him her likes for men. She only ever discussed blokes with her friends.

"Many things," she said.

"Like?"

"Like," she began. "I like it when a guy looks me in the eye when he talks at me. I like it when he has time for me. I like it when he respects me and accepts my decisions. I'm not going to lie that I do look at their facial features a bit but sometimes it doesn't matter how he looks. I also love it when he has nice gentle eyes and nice arms. Yes, nice arms. But what I really like is when he makes me laugh. I love blokes that make me laugh."

James stared at her for a few moments. "So you wouldn't care if the bloke was scrawny?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Really, Potter? Did you even listen to any word I was saying?"

"Of course, I was! I just wanted to know if you cared that the bloke was scrawny. You didn't mention that," he stated. He shrugged his shoulders and dug his hand into his hair once more.

Lily chuckled. "No, I don't care if a guy is scrawny, James. It wouldn't be a bad thing if he had a muscle, toned chest though," joked Lily.

"Well, that helps," he smiled. James lifted his shirt and flashed his chest. "So you wouldn't mind this incredibly skinny chest?"

Lily tugged the end of his shirt down. "James Potter, I don't want you showing me your chest or any other part that hurts my eyes!"

"I bet you find it attractive," he teased.

"The giant squid is more attractive than you."

James gave her a lopsided smile, flashing his crooked teeth. His thick rimmed glasses askew made him look like an idiot who only made Lily return his smile.

"Hogwarts does have many marvelous things, doesn't it?" said James.

"Oh, please! That's a matter of opinion. Hogwarts is the definition of drama!"

**A/N: This had been roaming my head for ages and I finally decided to share it here. Many authors think James is like this sex god that all the girls drool over just because he's a Marauder. I always thought he was scrawny even though he was the all-star Quidditch player. That's just the way I saw it. You gotta love James! Please review! :)**


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